As a digital nomad who so far has visited over 40 countries in the last 14 years I can tell, keeping a travel journal is a must!
Helping to plan, track, and then record your journeys, activities, experiences, and memories, your travel journal becomes both your guidebook and keepsake.
But what kind of travel journey is best for your trips?
That’s what we’ll be exploring in this post.
Travel Journal Features to Consider;
1. What’s it for? (Memory, blog notes, places to revisit)
When choosing a travel journal the first thing to think about is what’s it actually for?
I write travel blog posts, so for me, it’s a tool to help me highlight the best experiences, and the best places to visit and make notes about the best points of interest to include in my posts.
It also serves as a bit of an activity planner, and a reference guide should I return to somewhere I’ve been before and want to remember the best hotel, restaurant, etc.
So what will you use your journal for? If it’s more of a pre-trip planner, you’ll want to make sure it includes packing lists and pages for dates, times, trip reference numbers, etc.
If it’s for drawing or writing poetry about the places you visit perhaps you’ll want plain pages with nothing on them to fill them with your creativity.
Perhaps you want somewhere to load or stick photos, or simply want a beautiful notebook to journal your days.
2. Vacation or Long Term Travel
Secondly, are you a long term traveler or digital nomad like me? If so, the type of journal you’ll need will likely be very different than if you’re heading off on a 2 week vacation from work.
As a long term traveler, you’ll want more sections to split the countries, the journal will need to be digital or at least light enough to fit in a backpack and it will need to last a long time as you traverse across the globe.
If it’s a keepsake of a wonderful holiday, it can be bigger – to fit inside a suitcase, lean more towards a photographic memory book, or a journal of your activities and best experiences.
3. Format (Digital, Printable or book)
Once you know what your travel journal is for and the kind of size, and type you want, it’s time to decide the format of your journal.
As a digital nomad, if you have an iPad, a digital journal is ideal. You can use goodnotes or notability and keep track of as many countries, trips, and experiences as you like without ever running out of space!
Perhaps you’re someone who enjoys putting pen to paper and if this is the case a printable or physical travel journal is a better choice for you.
4. Size
If you go down the physical journal route, you’ll need to consider the size and weight of your travel journal. You don’t want a journal that’s too big and heavy and yet, it needs to be big enough to be useful.
Be sure to look at the weight when looking at listings on Etsy or Amazon and in particular note what the cover is made of. A hardback book will always be more bulky than a paperback for example.
5. Guided or Freestyle
Lastly, do you want a guided travel journal with pre-scripted pages including packing lists, trip itineraries, journal highlight pages, etc? Would you rather have a simple lined notebook for you to fill with your thoughts and memories, or is a plain art style scrapbook more to your liking?
There are travel journals for every type of traveler, so be sure to try out a few and pick the style that works for you!
Here are 10 recommended travel journals to get you started.
Best Travel Journals
1. The Clever Fox Travel Planner
Embark on your travel dreams with the Clever Fox Travel Planner, your essential companion for adventure and exploration. With its eco-leather hardcover and compact A5 size, it’s durable and portable, designed to fit seamlessly into your travel gear. Its premium 120gsm paper ensures a smooth writing experience, capturing your memories and plans without the worry of ink bleed-through.
Features include:
- Bucket List & Itinerary Planning: Dedicated sections for crafting your ultimate travel bucket list and detailed daily itineraries, ensuring you make the most of every trip.
- Travel Essentials: Includes safety tips, a packing checklist, and helpful travel information to keep your journeys smooth and worry-free.
- Document Your Adventures: Ample space for journaling, sketching, and storing ticket stubs or photos, turning your planner into a cherished keepsake.
- Premium Paper Quality: Thick 120gsm paper that’s perfect for a variety of pens and pencils, ensuring your writing stays crisp and clear.
- Functional Design: Features a pen loop, elastic closure, and a bookmark for convenience, along with a pocket for loose notes and stickers for personalization.
- Satisfaction Guarantee: Backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee, providing peace of mind for your purchase.
Designed for every type of traveler, from weekend wanderers to seasoned nomads, the Clever Fox Travel Planner is the perfect tool to fulfill your wanderlust and keep your travel memories alive.
2. The Moleskine Traveller’s Journal
The Moleskine Traveller’s Journal is your dedicated companion for every kind of trip, designed to capture the essence of your travels, from quick getaways to epic journeys. Its structured format not only helps you plan meticulously with practical tips and an extensive calendar but also serves as a canvas to record and preserve your travel memories. With its high-quality hardcover and acid-free paper, it’s built to withstand the rigors of travel and time, turning into a cherished collection of your adventures.
Features include:
- Comprehensive Planning: Intro pages with an 8-year calendar, timeline, and sections for up to 20 Short Trips and 6 Long Trips, allowing for detailed pre-trip planning including checklists, budgeting, and must-see recommendations.
- Travel Memories & Wish List: Ample space to reflect on past travels and dream up future destinations, ensuring your wanderlust is always fueled.
- Scrapbook Ready: Transform the journal with tickets, photos, and mementos post-travel, creating a personalized scrapbook of your adventures.
- Quality Craftsmanship: Features ivory-colored 70 g/m² acid-free paper, a hard cover with themed debossing, rounded corners, elastic closure, and 2 ribbon bookmarks for durability and ease of use.
- Organized Note-Taking: Tabbed sections and themed introductory pages guide your journaling, with 400 pages for extensive note-taking and themed stickers to customize your journal.
- Elegant Presentation: Comes in a premium box with themed graphics, making it a perfect gift for travel enthusiasts and a splendid addition to your travel book collection.
3. Travel Journal by Duncan & Stone
A premium travel notebook, this beautiful travel journal measures 7.75 x 9.25 inches with 100 pages, making it easy to carry around in your backpack or travel bag.
Features include:
- Traveling Scrapbook with Prompts – Fill out basic details, favorite memories, & photos from each trip to remember the specifics that made the trip unforgettable</